


The Supply Closet

by bigblueboxat221b



Category: Legally Blonde - Hach/O'Keefe/Benjamin
Genre: After 'Legally Blonde', Awkward Conversations, Callaghan is not, Elle leaving, Emmett's a gentleman, F/M, Paulette takes action, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:20:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21799018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigblueboxat221b/pseuds/bigblueboxat221b
Summary: Emmett desperately wants Elle to open her door - but he's too much of a gentleman to force the issue. He wants to be sure she doesn't leave, though, and decides on a course of action to cross paths with her.
Relationships: Emmett Forrest/Elle Woods
Comments: 9
Kudos: 166
Collections: legally blonde





	The Supply Closet

**Author's Note:**

> So...I might have seen Legally Blonde The Musical for the first time. It's only 12 years since it was on Broadway so I'm not all that far behind, right?  
> Anyway, I'm clearly a sucker for the underdog and for the slightly-dorky-but-adorable-fella trope, and this has that in spades, so I have a few ideas I'm going to work through. :)

Emmett groaned, leaning his head on Elle’s bedroom door. She wouldn’t let him in; he’d begged, but he wouldn’t stay and harass her. Desperate as he was to offer consolation, he didn’t want to be the kind of man that pushed his will on her. Goodness knew she’d had enough of that already.

“Please call me,” he said, swallowing down the lump in his throat as he pictured her sobbing on the other side of the door. His arms ached to hold her, and he actually flexed his fingers into the door in frustration. “When you’re ready to…whatever you need. Please, Elle.”

With all the self-control he could muster, Emmett turned and walked away. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he couldn’t stay here. It was late, and he was cold after waiting on Elle’s doorstep. His feet took him automatically to his apartment; it was cold and dreary without Elle, although that could be in his imagination. She lit up the room, of course, but it was particularly dull this evening without her.

Perhaps it was his fear that she was leaving that dimmed the world.

Holding in all that emotion was hard, and now that he was home, Emmett let the choked sob out. His hands shook as he took off his jacket. Elle would kill him if he didn’t take care of it, and he reached for a coat hanger with blind fingers. It was a thin wire one, not like the padded ones they had in that fancy shop. He wondered what Elle would think of it, but it was all he had, so it would do. A hand ducked into a pocket, pulling out his phone. He pushed off his shoes, tugging at his tie and dropping it on the floor before crawling onto his bed. The duvet was thin, but he pulled it over his head anyway. Anything to hide right now, although he wouldn’t go so far as to be unreachable by Elle. He couldn’t let go of the hope she might call, text…get in touch somehow.

Curling his fingers around his phone, Emmett closed his eyes. He was exhausted after the last week, even moreso than usual, and despite his concern about Elle, he felt himself drifting off. He’d feel it if his phone rang. If Elle rang. With a sigh, he allowed himself to be pulled down into sleep.

+++

Sleeping all night was uncommon, and Emmett found himself disoriented when he woke.

“Elle,” he murmured, voice cracking with disuse. His phone was still in his hand, and Emmett threw the duvet off, blinking in the light. He hadn’t closed the curtains, and the sun streamed through the window, reminding him how dull his tiny apartment was.

“Damn it,” Emmett muttered, seeing the empty call log. No calls, no messages. Where was Elle? If he hadn’t seen her into her apartment the previous night, he wouldn’t have let it go. But she’d been safe and he had to respect her decision not to let him in.

It was a new day, though. Emmett listened as his phone tried to connect to Elle’s, heart sinking as it rang on and on before her voicemail picked up.

“Elle,” he began, but didn’t really know what else to say. “Please call me,” he said. This was hardly the right way to declare himself to her. He couldn’t leave his love on a voicemail, for goodness sake. “Please,” he repeated, aware of the gap in his message as he thought. “Um, I just want to be sure you’re okay.”

He hung up, wincing at himself and his awkwardness. Giving Elle her space was his first instinct, but a deeper part of him was urging his legs to stand him up and take him to her. To check she was okay, and maybe, if the moment was right…well, he’d have to see what happened.

Okay, he told himself. He’d compromise, go and see Paulette at the salon. If Elle was upset, she would be sure to visit at some point. And if she wasn’t there, Paulette might know where else she would go.

Nodding, Emmett hauled himself out of bed. Shower, shave, breakfast. He needed to find her; it pulsed within him. A deep need, edged with anxiety, bringing each task into sharp relief and making his hands shake as he tried to hurry. Impatiently, he decided to forego the shave. Tugging on a pair of jeans, he also decided he could go without breakfast; the last of the Red Bull Elle bought him would suffice.

“Speed, not haste,” he reminded himself.

+++

When Emmett finally made it to the salon, Paulette looked at him. “I haven’t seen her since yesterday,” she said. “I gave her a manicure, and she went off to court.” She looked suddenly worried. “Did it go bad?”

“You could say that,” Emmett replied. His heart was thudding against his ribs. Where was she?

“Oh no,” Paulette said. “I knew I should have done the gavels.”

“What?” Emmett replied, confused.

“Doesn’t matter,” Paulette said. “What happened in court?”

“Court went fine,” Emmett told her. “It was after. Callaghan hit on her and fired her and she was talking about leaving.”

“Leaving?” Paulette squeaked, collapsing back into her chair. “But she can’t leave! Wait, Callaghan hit on her? That slimebag!”

“I know,” Emmett replied, turning away in frustration. “He only sees the blonde.”

Paulette didn’t respond, and Emmett looked at her. She was staring at him, her mouth open. “Please don’t tell me you haven’t told her you love her,” Paulette said in exasperation.

“What?” Emmett replied.

“Oh honey,” Paulette said, one hand on her hip as she studied him. “It’s so obvious. And you know she’s sweet on you, too, don’t you?”

“She is?” Emmett replied. He let that sit for a second until the need to see her again overcame him in a rush. “Do you know where she is?”

“I haven’t seen her,” Paulette repeated. “But she wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye, would she?”

Emmett shrugged. “I hoped she wouldn’t,” he replied. “I didn’t want to show up at her apartment again. But I thought she might come here.”

“You were right,” Elle’s voice came from behind them both.

Emmett jumped up, forgetting about Paulette as he looked at Elle. He thought she’d done something with her makeup, but it didn’t quite cover the circles under her eyes. More than that, her rounded shoulders and folded hands were more self-effacing than he’d ever seen. The confident, sassy woman was gone, and his heart ached for her.

“Elle,” Emmett blurted, when she didn’t say anything.

“Hello, Emmett,” she said, tone wary. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you,” he replied.

“I came to see Paulette,” she told him. She looked around. “Do you know where she is?”

Emmett shook his head – wasn’t she standing beside him?

“She went in there,” the other hairdresser said, indicating a door.

“The supply closet?” Elle asked, frowning. Emmett glanced over, wondering if he should leave. He couldn’t tell if Elle wanted to see him or not; her usually expressive face was closed and sad.

“Yeah, she wanted to get you something.” The answer came through a mouthful of clips. Elle turned to Emmett, who shrugged.

“Come on,” Elle said to him. “She might be trying to reach something up high.”

Emmett thought it was unlikely, but followed Elle in. It smelled like chemicals; Emmett hoped he wouldn’t have to dig through anything too caustic for Paulette. The closet was small, of course, and as soon as they were both inside the door behind them closed. It was dark, only the light under the door stopping the darkness being completely disorienting.

“Elle?” Emmett asked, blinking.

“I’m here!” she said from his left.

“Okay, you two!” Paulette’s voice came from outside. “Time to talk, I think.”

“Paulette?” Elle said. “Did you…did she shut us in here?”

“I think so,” Emmett replied. He stood still, not entirely sure where Elle was, or the walls, or anything but the door, really. What was Paulette up to?

Emmett felt Elle brush past as she took the couple of steps over to the door. Her perfume washed over him, and he breathed in the wave of familiar as it blotted out the chemicals for a brief moment.

“Paulette!” Elle repeated. Her hand hit his chest as she swung back before banging on the door. “What are you doing?”

“You and Emmett need to talk, honey!” Paulette told her. “Go ahead! I ain’t got anything else to do.”

“Let us out!” Emmett said, conscious not to step forward and bump into Elle.

“Not yet,” Paulette said. “Start talking. You’ve both got plenty to say.”

They heard her heels click away, then she greeted someone in the salon. It was fairly clear she was serious about leaving them in the closet together.

“Elle?” Emmett ventured. She hadn’t said anything, and he was fairly sure she was still facing the door. There was something between him and the door, anyway. His heart was thumping out of his chest, and he couldn’t hear enough to figure out if she was shifting or not.

“I’m here,” she said quietly. Exactly where he thought she’d be.

Emmett didn’t move, uncertain what to do. He didn’t want to reach out in the dark; the number of ways that could go wrong if his hand landed in the wrong place...Instead he took a deep breath.

“What do you think Paulette means?”

“I don’t know,” Elle said, but she’d replied too fast. Her voice sounded strained, and Emmett frowned. Obviously she was upset at what was happening, but there was a thread of something else in there. Something that reminded him of the times she’d despaired over Warner. Over a man she couldn’t have. As far as Emmett knew, she hadn’t seen Warner outside of work for ages.

_Take a chance, Emmett._

Emmett took another deep breath. “I might,” he said, pushing the words past the lump in his throat.

“Really?” The word was more surprised than anything, and the swish of fabric over the sound of his pulse told him Elle had turned around.

“Yes,” he said, but didn’t trust himself to go on. He swallowed, wondering if the right words would come to him.

“Where are you?” Elle murmured.

“I’m here,” Emmett said, suddenly aware of every inch of his body. When gentle fingers found his bicep he flinched, but they quickly firmed, curling around his arm.

“There you are,” Elle’s voice said, and Emmett imagined it was relief that tinged the sound.

“I’m here,” Emmett repeated. “I think…I think Paulette did this on purpose.”

“Of course she did,” Elle said. “She thinks-” She cut herself off, and Emmett could picture her biting her lip, regretting the start of that sentence. It was adorable, even in his memory.

“I think I know what she thinks,” Emmett said carefully. He reached up slowly, resting his hand over her fingers where they still curled around his arm. When she didn’t pull away he used her arm as a guide, brushing his fingers up to her shoulder. “She wasn’t exactly subtle earlier.”

“No,” Elle replied. “This isn’t either, is it?”

“It’s not,” Emmett said, smiling into the darkness. He took a deep breath. “I didn’t get to say something last night.”

“Okay,” Elle said. Without seeing her face he wasn’t certain what she was thinking. Her face was so expressive and he didn’t realise how much he relied on it to tell him what she was thinking.

“You said there was no reason for you to stay,” Emmett told her. Her fingers flexed on his bicep, and her breathing changed, but she didn’t speak for several seconds.

“I didn’t think there was,” Elle said.

Emmett swallowed. He had to check, before he said anything, just in case… “What about Warner?” he asked.

“Oh,” Elle whispered. Hesitantly her hand shifted up to his shoulder, and as her fingers brushed his neck, he shuddered, heart thumping once again. “That’s not something…I was wrong about him.”

“You were?” Emmett asked.

Elle moved closer, Emmett’s hand ghosting over her shoulder and down her back. His heart thudded again as he realised how close they were. How close to an embrace they were, in this supply closet that smelled like ammonia. Not the most romantic situation, and yet he could feel himself yearning for her.

“He’s not what I want,” Elle said, and Emmett couldn’t have had a better opening.

“He’s not?” Emmett asked. There was no answer he could hear, and impulsively he copied Elle, moving closer until he felt their bodies brush. He raised his free hand, found warm skin, fingertips mapping the shape until his palm settled along her jaw. Elle still hadn’t spoken, but the gasp at his touch was audible and had sent a fizz of excitement through him.

“What do you want, Elle?” Emmett asked. This moment was not as he’d thought it might play out, but still they’d made it here, and now the question hung in the air between them.

He wished he could see her face.

“Oh Emmett,” she sighed, and Emmett found himself being pulled down, her fingers insistent on his neck.

His hand on her jaw was shifting as she tilted her head up, and he knew what she was doing a second before her mouth met his. It wasn’t perfect, both shifting to correct before their lips sealed. For several breaths neither moved; they were both breathing unevenly. Emmett felt her hand press into his skin, the other coming to rest on his chest. Dimly, he registered his fingers curling into his palm at the sensation of her mouth on his. She was as soft and warm as he’d dreamed.

But this wasn’t a dream.

The reality of it finally hit Emmett, and he exhaled properly. To his mortification a groan broke free at the same time. Any other place it might have escaped unnoticed, but here in the intimate silence it was loud. Emmett froze, his breath sticking in his throat until Elle pressed closer, her lips moving against his. It must have been the moment that broke their stasis, because Emmett moved too, the relief of her reaction flooding him as he gathered her in his arms. She smelled good, his brain registered. The same perfume, but there was something he hadn’t noticed before, and it dragged his euphoria even higher. She was kissing him, and not in a polite, I’m-happy-enough-to-be-here kind of way, but with the same relief and increasing desperation Emmett himself felt.

“Elle,” he gasped when there was a break. “Elle, please don’t leave…”

“Leave?” she asked, not stopping kissing him for long enough to ask a proper question.

“You were…going to…back to…home,” Emmett managed. He was less interested in the conversation by the second; kissing Elle right now was far more interesting and fulfilling. She must have agreed, because she didn’t try to speak, simply deepening their kiss until Emmett couldn’t recall exactly what he’d done with his life before this supply closet.

“Emmett,” Elle finally managed, easing away enough to speak.

He hummed in response, not entirely trusting his voice not to break if he tried to reply. She was still close, their arms now wrapped tightly around each other, and a thrill coursed down his spine that she didn’t want to move away, not even to speak.

“I don’t want to go home,” she said. “But I can’t…”

He felt her shudder and instinctively tightened his arms, pouring his support into the embrace. “We can do it together,” he said. “Whatever you need. But don’t let him ruin this for you.”

“How can I get through school if everyone knows that’s why I was picked?” Elle whispered, and Emmett’s heart broke for the whispered confidence. She was sharing her heart with him, here in the dark.

“Do you remember Thanksgiving?” he said. “I told you it would be hard. And I told you I’d gotten through it, and you will too. You prove what you can do, Elle Woods, and they’ll shut up.”

She didn’t speak for a few moments, and Emmett again wished he could see her expression. The doubt radiated off her, even in here.

“You know,” Emmett said, “I think the only reason Brooke tolerates Callaghan is that you’re on his team. If she finds out what happened, she’d fire him.”

“She would,” Elle replied slowly, and he felt her stand a little straighter for a second until she sagged again. “But I can’t represent her, I’m only a law student!”

“A law student who got her alibi, and proved Carlos was gay,” Emmett reminded her. “Your methods are a little unorthodox, but they’re effective.”

Elle sighed. “I still can’t represent her,” she said. “I’m not licensed.”

“I am,” Emmett replied. “Supreme Judicial Court rules state that a law student can represent a defendant in criminal proceedings as long as they have a licensed attorney to supervise.”

“It does?” Elle whispered.

“It does,” Emmett said, grinning even though she couldn’t see it. “Of course, we can’t do it from here, so maybe we could try and get Paulette to let us out?”

“That might be a good idea,” Elle replied. Her arms tightened on him, and Emmett lowered his head, smiling when she giggled at their poor aim. A little correction and they were kissing again, a slow kiss he tried to fill with encouragement and support.

“Thank you,” Elle whispered when they finally broke apart. “For everything.”

“Of course,” Emmett replied. He wanted to tell her now, but held back. They needed to get to court, and Elle would have a challenge ahead of her. It could wait. He could wait, now that he knew she wasn’t leaving.


End file.
